PAE is one step closer to launching its greatest design to date: the Nordhavn 120. Yesterday afternoon, the craftsmen at the South Coast Factory in Xiamen, China, released the hull of Nordhavn’s future queenship from its molds after 90 days of construction. From here, work commences on the main deck, tanks, upper deck, flybridge, hard top and mast tooling. With the tooling and molds now finished and the molded parts now being completed, the building of the yacht can truly begin in earnest for its new owner. N120 hull #1 is expected to be launched in 2012.

Progression of this yacht is a slower and more painstaking process, not just because the boat is so much bigger than her sisterships but because the entire yacht is being built to ABS standards. “Everything has to be approved before we can start any parts of the build,” said the 120’s Project Manager Trever Smith. “This makes production more difficult, but it is significant to have the ABS approval.” (ABS compliancy is currently an option on the Nordhavn 86.)

The N120 will comprise a number of firsts for Nordhavn including having a hingeable radar mast operated by a single push button (which will allow the boat to fit into the owner’s custom boathouse), as well as anchor wells that enable the anchors to sit recessed into the hull instead of hanging off the bow.

What sets this design apart from other yachts in her class is her overall size. Like all Nordhavns, interior volume is an exceptional feature. The company’s engineers have created boats that allow their owners and guests to fit all the creature comforts of home plus enough stores to go out cruising for weeks on end. The 120 takes that essence to the next level: “First impression of this boat is that it’s massive,” says Trever. “It feels like most 150s or 160s that I have been on. The considerable volume is its greatest advantage.”